The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for adjusting door and cupboard hinges, and more particularly to a tool which slips over the knuckles of a hinge, allowing the knuckles to be bent away or toward the hinge plate which attaches the hinge either to the door or to the doorjamb.
Doors often stick or become stuck within the doorframe as a result of either settling of the frame of the structure, excessive moisture, a damaged door, or if a replacement door is installed, because no doorway is perfectly level or plumb. A sticking door can, at the least, be a source of aggravation. Different methods are often employed to remedy a sticking door, such as trimming or shaving the door at the point where it sticks, or adjusting the hinge to pull the door away from the point where it sticks within the door frame.
One method commonly employed to adjust the hinges of a door is to place a crescent wrench over the knuckles of the hinge and apply a force to the end of the wrench, thereby increasing or decreasing the angle between the knuckles and the hinge plate. For example, if the door rubs on the top of handle side of the door, the retaining pin may be pulled from the top hinge and the door leaned away from the doorjamb, separating the hinge leaf attached to the door from the hinge leaf attached to the doorjamb. The crescent wrench may then be placed over the knuckles on the hinge leaf attached to the doorjamb and the knuckles bent toward the doorjamb. Once the hinge is placed back together, the door will be pulled closer to the jamb and pulled away from the door frame on the handle side.
The problem with using the above method is that the crescent wrench scratches the knuckles, damaging the appearance of the hinge. The present apparatus and method are directed toward this problem.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method which meets the need identified above.
The disclosed apparatus is a tool for adjusting a hinge, the hinge being the type comprising two leafs, each leaf having a plurality of knuckles on the edge of the leaf through which, when the knuckles are aligned, a retaining pin is passed to connect the two leafs. The tool comprises a head having a first end and a second end. The head further comprises a first jaw portion and an opposite-facing second jaw portion. The first jaw portion and the second jaw portion define a knuckle-enclosing opening having the same shape as a cross-section of the knuckles. The apparatus further comprises a handle attached to the second end of the head.
Another embodiment of the apparatus comprises a head having a first end and a second end. The head further comprises a first jaw portion and an opposite-facing second jaw portion. The first jaw portion and the second jaw portion define a knuckle-enclosing opening. The knuckle-enclosing opening has a slot shape at the first end. The knuckle-enclosing opening transitions into a circular shape as the opening extends in the-direction of the second end. The apparatus further comprises a handle attached to the second end of the head.
Methods of using the tools described above are also disclosed.